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Thursday, October 11, 2012

Easy to like Francona

You know it’s bad when the manager of a baseball team is the
face of the franchise.

But that’s exactly the situation in Cleveland after Terry
Francona accepted the Indians’ invitation to manage their team for the next
four years.

From a perception standpoint, be it local or national,
Francona will be the man until the club can develop the kind of player or
players who can grab the spotlight from him.

It’s not his fault. After all, he arrives in
Cleveland as one of the most decorated and beloved managers in the history of
the Boston Red Sox. In giving Red Sox fans two World Series championships, he
became an icon. His departure from Boston was less than cordial, but nothing
lasts forever.

Following his introductory news conference in Cleveland a few
days ago, it is easy to see why the Indians liked him and wanted him. He has a
commanding presence that can, at times, be disarming and charming at the same
time.

The new Tribe skipper does not lack from confidence. Oh no. He’s
out there. There is not a shy bone in his body.

And the Indians’ brass hopes some of that confidence, some
of that brashness, some of that personality rubs off on the players. Oftentimes,
the trickle-down theory works.

Francona most likely will be the exact opposite of his predecessor.
Too often, it seemed as though the Indians didn’t play hard for Manny Acta,
whose inability to stop a runaway train ultimately cost him his job.

The first words out of Francona’s mouth after General
Manager Chris Antonetti introduced him provided an early clue as to what the
next four years are going to be like.

Antonetti spoke glowingly of his new manager’s
accomplishments. Enough to make the man blush. Instead, he rose and said,
“After that introduction, I don’t think I got enough money.”

And for the next roughly 28 minutes, he looked relaxed and
seemed to have a lot of fun working with his new media friends in Cleveland.

He made it very clear as to why he chose to accept this job.
“The two main reasons I’m here today are Chris (Antonetti) and Mark (team President
Mark Shapiro),” he said.

“I wouldn’t have interviewed here if I didn’t think it was
the right thing to do. A large part of the allure was my relationship with the
people here. There was no introductory process. When Chris called, I knew it
was the right thing to do.”

Taking this job was a no-brainer, he said. “Negotiating (the
deal) took about 10 minutes,” he revealed. “(Four years) was as much as they
would give me.”

After parrying a few questions about the strengths and
weaknesses of the roster, Francona made it clear he’s not beginning his glide
toward retirement. “I didn’t come here to go to pasture,” he said. “I’m not
afraid of a challenge, either here or at ESPN.”

Spending the past baseball season as an analyst at ESPN has
proved therapeutic for Francona and only fed his desire to get back into the
dugout.

When it was suggested he had a much larger payroll with
which to work in Boston, he rebutted, “A large payroll does not guarantee
success. It makes you an analyst.”How can you not like a man who pokes fun at himself?

What about the difference in money the two teams spent on
their rosters? The Red Sox’s payroll last season hit $160 million before the
late-season purge, while the Indians checked in at $66.5 million.

“I didn’t ask (Indians) ownership to go out and spend
money,” Francona said. “We’ll work together and figure out how to handle the
challenges.”

And there will plenty of those come next spring training in
Goodyear, Ariz. From the lack of power to the highly questionable starting
pitching to the suspect defense to the losing atmosphere that has permeated the
clubhouse for the last several seasons.

The new manager faces a substantial task. He no longer can
write names like David Ortiz or Manny Ramirez or Dustin Pedroia or Kevin
Youkilis on his lineup card. In Boston, he had an abundance of talent.All he had to do was make certain his
players were happy and enjoying themselves.

The best part of taking over the Indians is there is only
one direction it can head after the stinker (68-94) they put up in 2012. Finishing
at .500 in 2013 would be considered a major accomplishment.

One thing is certain: With Francona now running the dugout,
the Indians will not wear the forlorn look that dogged them as a team in the last
half of this past season. He seems to be the kind of manager who will make certain every
man is held accountable for his actions.

He said his one of his first goals will be to forge an
identity for the Indians. “My job is to get the most out of every player,” he
said in somewhat clichéd fashion.”

He later went on to say he did not want to be “a rental
manager. I want to be part of the solution. I want to stick around.”

All nice words spoken with sincere confidence. But unless
Francona is given the bullets to place in his gun, he might as well keep his
finger away from the trigger because the only sound he’ll hear if he pulls it is
a click.

It is now incumbent upon Antonetti to change the culture of
this team to fit the personality of the man he has chosen to take it in a new
direction. If he wants to justify hiring a high profile guy like Francona, he
has to go out and back it up with sound moves. Radical changes need to be made.

Cleveland baseball has a chance to make a comeback. The
first step has been taken with the hiring of Francona.

Good choice. Surprise choice (that he even wanted the job). And,
as it turned out, the only choice.